Five East Jerusalem residents are suspected of trying to smuggle gold coins worth NIS 1.8 million through Israel through Ben Gurion Airport.
They were arrested and Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge Amir Shaked released them today (Wednesday) on restrictive conditions.
The request for arrest indicates that the Jerusalem Customs and VAT Investigations Department, in cooperation with the Ben Gurion Airport Drugs Unit and the customs inspectors, is conducting an investigation against the five, on suspicion of smuggling gold into Israel.
According to the request, two of the suspects, Amani Golani and Rowan Kusami, were caught on their return flight from Istanbul to Israel with gold coins weighing a total of 5.7 kg removed on their bodies. The value of the smuggled coins is about NIS 1.8 million.
Five residents of East Jerusalem are suspected of trying to smuggle gold coins into Israel, Photo: Tax Authority
According to the suspicion, Samir Golani, who accompanied their trip, was the one who activated the two and managed the smuggling.
The request also states that the suspects were accompanied by other family members (Samiha and Hamdi Golani) who, according to the suspicion, also took part in the smuggling and removal of the gold.
This is another case of an attempt to smuggle gold through Ben Gurion Airport: About three weeks ago, police and customs workers arrested three East Jerusalem residents at Ben Gurion Airport, Mohammad Najib (26), Wahid Bakri (26) and Adali Najib (28) upon their return from Dubai. On suspicion of trying to smuggle gold.
The suspects were taken for further investigation at the Jerusalem Customs and VAT Investigations Office and were brought before a Jerusalem Magistrate's Court judge this morning, who extended their detention by three days.
The three passed the green route of the landers at Ben Gurion Airport on the way down from the flight from Dubai and inside two dedicated seat belts which two of the three passengers carried on their 1,000 gold coins seized with a total weight of more than 8 kg, with a market value of two million shekels.
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